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Re: Tourist in my own country Posted: Fri October 24, 2003 08:22 PM UTC
Will reply in English. Delft! Have you thought about Delft. I just love that little city just for it's looks, so beautiful. Then Leiden of course, with it's nice Botanical Garden (well in winter the tropical glasshouses there!)., it's canals in the centre and lots of interesting museums.
Those places i really can recommend in the Province Zuid-Holland.
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| Netherlands |
Re: Tourist in my own country Posted: Fri October 24, 2003 08:25 PM UTC
and instead of Volendam (i think it looks terrible: only tourist shops in my opinion)
i would say Marken, much more atmosphere. You can go there by bus from the Central Station in Amsterdam.
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| Netherlands |
Re: Re: Tourist in my own country Posted: Fri October 24, 2003 08:37 PM UTC
Head for one of the Frisian islands, like Terschelling! They are easy to reach and the nature is unique in the world! As soon as you get of the boat you feel it! I love it! The islands are my favourite place in the Netherlands. If you need more info, just ask....I'm from the northern part of the Netherlands, so inside info! :-)
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| Netherlands |
Re: Re: Tourist in my own country Posted: Fri October 24, 2003 09:02 PM UTC
Hallo Roy,
Good idea! I like the old towns and the scenery of Zuid-Holland, like Leerdam, Arkel, Buren, Schoonhoven. A tour along the Linge, by car or bicycle, although perhaps it is not the best time of the year for that. But when there will be some frost and ice on the rivers...
Difficult choice for you, you need more than 15 days:)
Have a good time, I'm looking forward to your pages about your trip!
Anna.
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| Netherlands |
Re: Re: Tourist in my own country Posted: Fri October 24, 2003 09:49 PM UTC
I defintely wanna go and see Delft and Leiden. I wanna try and combine some cities that are closeby. So maybe I can pair those two up.
I also really wanna do an isle. I think Texel is the most conveniant for me, cause I don't have a car and need to go by public transport. Also this is free for me, cause I am a student.
Yes Southern Limburg is a great area. I live there !!! But there are so many places I havn't seen yet, or not properly. So I will spend at least one day there for sure.
Thanks for the tips will look into them.
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| Netherlands |
Re: Re: Tourist in my own country Posted: Fri October 24, 2003 10:24 PM UTC
Not really a tip, but just a sharing of thoughts. I did the same like you this summer, I visited all kinds of nice places in Belgium that I never visited and I was surprised that my little country had so much to offer!! I'll be doing this again next spring and summer. Of course Netherlands is way bigger than Belgium, so you still have lots of years to go ;-)))
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| Netherlands |
Re: Tourist in my own country Posted: Fri October 24, 2003 11:35 PM UTC
I'm doing this all the time, Imaniac.
Why don't you pick a theme and choose your places like that? Fortified towns or dune landscapes (Loonse en Drunense duinen, Soesterberg etc.).
Or a region like De Peel or Kop van Overijssel. Any of the Deltaworks. Have you seen the great Storm surge barrier at Hoek van Holland?
Or place where people still wear traditional costume like Spakenburg, Staphorst or indeed Volendam!
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Re: Re: Tourist in my own country Posted: Fri October 24, 2003 11:54 PM UTC
Oh yes, Netherlands are waaaaay bigger than Belgium. LOL. Sounds great Els, did you like it?
Anke-Thea, themes are always a good idea, but for me this time the theme would have to be: Now where did I live again? I just realised that I have seen so much of The Netherlands, and yet so little. There's so much to explore here. So I'll try to see as much as I can in those 15 (or more) days. From top to bottom, and east to west.
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| Netherlands |
Re: Re: Tourist in my own country Posted: Sat October 25, 2003 06:43 AM UTC
Sometimes it's just nice to surprise yourself. Buy detailed touristic maps and just drive anywhere you like. Take the backroads. Decide not to drive on any motorway at all. You'll be surprised!
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Re: Re: Tourist in my own country Posted: Sat October 25, 2003 10:07 AM UTC
Texel might be more convenient, but at Texel I didn't really had that "special island feeling" that I have on the islands that belong to Friesland, bust because Texel was so big! (Maybe the fact that I am from Friesland has got something to do with it as well ;-))
And if you have free public transport with your "OV-kaart", then it's not that difficult to reach Harlingen and hop on the boat to Terschelling. It has a great hostel by the way, altough I've heard the one at Texel is quite nice as well.
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Re: Re: Tourist in my own country Posted: Sat October 25, 2003 10:36 AM UTC
Hi ATLC, of course that would have been very great, but I don't have a car. I do have a students card, on which I can travel for free through Holland. So, I'd have to stick with trains, busses, trams or metros.
Showercap, thanks for the Harlingen tip. I will definetely look into that.
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Re: Re: Tourist in my own country Posted: Sat October 25, 2003 10:40 AM UTC
By the way ANke-Thea, I love fortofied towns. Of course I've been to Maastricht. And some other cities in other countries, like Saint-Malo in France and Obidos in Portugal. I love the atmosphere there. I was thinking of going to Willemstad, but Pavlik_NL says it is very secluded if you want to go there by public transport. Any tips? How's the public transport to Brielle, for instance?
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Re: Re: Tourist in my own country Posted: Sat October 25, 2003 10:58 AM UTC
If you like fortified towns in The Netherlands, you should visit www.vestingsteden.nl
Willemstad is indeed a difficult one to reach.
Brielle is about an hour with public transport from Rotterdam (metro/bus).
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| Netherlands |
Re: Re: Tourist in my own country Posted: Sat October 25, 2003 12:03 PM UTC
Okay these are the places I am thinking of visiting now. Of course I will probably change my mind quite often.
Amsterdam, Delft & Leiden, Marken & Volendam, Groningen, Middelburg & Vlissingen, Leeuwarden, Arnhem & De Veluwe, The Hague & Scheveningen, Neeltje-Jans, Den Bosch & Zaltbommel, Biesbos, Gouda & Utrecht and Den Helder & Texel.
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Re: Re: Tourist in my own country Posted: Sat October 25, 2003 12:20 PM UTC
To my opinion: No need to walk around in Den Helder, eventough you can take the boat to Texel there.
I'm from Friesland, I studied in Leeuwarden (and Groningen) and I think you would like the tiny little villages in Friesland more then Leeuwarden. Sneek is nice, just as the villages on the Ijsselmeer coast, like Hindeloopen (My friends from abroad said it looked like from their picturebook they used to have when they where little).
Did you consider combining all the things you can do/see in the north?
Groningen to Leeuwarden is only 50 minutes by train! And by the way: if you are in Leeuwarden, it's only about 25 minutes to get to Harlingen/Boat to Terschelling. But it's your island-choice ofcourse.
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Re: Re: Tourist in my own country Posted: Sat October 25, 2003 01:29 PM UTC
Groningen / Leeuwarden, now there's a good tip. Thanks. I've been in Groningen before, so I don't need to spend a whole day there. Smaller places in Friesland sounds very interesting indeed. Terschelling still doesn't look like I can make it there. I live in the very south of Holland and it takes me ages to get there and back in the evnining.
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Re: Re: Tourist in my own country Posted: Sat October 25, 2003 01:48 PM UTC
Ohw...I thought you might want to spend the night somewhere. There's a hostel on Terschelling.
If you have been to Groningen before, maybe it's better to skip it and spend some more time in Friesland?
Sneek for exsample can be reached by train in about 25 minutes from Leeuwarden. Hindeloopen en Sloten, on the Ijsselmeer coast, are great pick as well. I always love to see the look on my friends (from abroad) faces.
Just send me an email if I can help you out more. I can provide more details if you want.
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Re: Re: Tourist in my own country Posted: Sat October 25, 2003 01:59 PM UTC
Well I might spend the night somewhere, but I wanna spend as little money as I can. Being a student and all. LOL.
I think I might do Leeuwarden + groningen on one day. And Sneek and some other Frisian cities on another day.
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| Netherlands |
Re: Re: Tourist in my own country Posted: Sat October 25, 2003 02:56 PM UTC
Well, my mind isn't made up yet. Things change every day. Of course I can't see every city in The Netherlands, that would take me ages. So I have to make choices. I have been to Groningen before but never to Friesland. That's the reason I am seeing more of Friesland than Groningen. But as I said, my mind isn't made up yet. And I'm easily convinced.
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Re: Re: Tourist in my own country Posted: Sat October 25, 2003 03:49 PM UTC
Hi again Roy, how's life after Breda?
many recommendations have been given already, but if you like fortified towns I'd recommend Bourtange (mentioned just before, Coevorden and perhaps in the east Groenlo (not much in town, but some fortifications nearby). In Friesland besides Hindeloopen also Workum, Sloten, Franeker and Makkum are nice, and another special thing are the mummies in the Wiuwerd church. In the east I wouldn't miss Oldenzaal where I used to live, great pubs!
greetings, W.
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Re: Re: Tourist in my own country Posted: Sat October 25, 2003 04:02 PM UTC
Hi Wietse,
Life after Breda has been very good. Thx.
Do you have any information on Wiuwerd, and how to get there? Can't find anything on google. The problem is I need to go by public transport. But it sounds great.
Hmz, a lot of people here recommend Bou(r)tagne. Sounds like something I can't miss.
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Re: Re: Tourist in my own country Posted: Sat October 25, 2003 05:06 PM UTC
Wieuwerd, that's where those mummies are in the church. Nobody knows exactly how they became mummified in the open air.
I've been there. Thanks for reminding me, I must make a page on that!
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Re: Re: Tourist in my own country Posted: Sat October 25, 2003 05:20 PM UTC
Hm, yeah the spelling is easy to mix up... Wiuwert is the Frisian one I think.
Anyway, there is some info on the site of the gemeente Littenseradiel (www.littenseradiel.nl, then "vrije tijd"). Nearest station is Mantgum, 2km walking or so (or rent a bike), but I also know from living in nearby Winsum there is a bus, going from Franeker to Sneek. Could be more on www.arriva.nl, or through the normal ov9292 website.
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| Netherlands |
Re: Re: Tourist in my own country Posted: Sat October 25, 2003 05:25 PM UTC
By the way, it says there its only open from April to October! But if you call one of the given phonenumbers you could always try, they will also give you info on (public) transport.
Let me know when you will be near Arnhem, maybe we can arrange a (mini) VT-meeting!
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Re: Re: Tourist in my own country Posted: Sat October 25, 2003 05:31 PM UTC
Aww that's too bad, that they won't be open. Well maybe that's something I need to see in the summer.
I haven't set the dates yet Wietse, but I will defintely be in Arnhem. I'd like to do a combined Arnhem sightseeing and De Veluwe walk - day. I saw that there are busses from Arnhem to De Veluwe, Bus 12 If I remember correctly
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| Netherlands |
Re: Re: Tourist in my own country Posted: Sun October 26, 2003 09:29 AM UTC
Also take into account Naarden-Vesting, Middelburg , Zierikzee (well, Zeeland in general for that matter), Schiermonnikoog.
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| Netherlands |
Re: Re: Tourist in my own country Posted: Sun October 26, 2003 10:54 AM UTC
I think, Imaniac, with all these suggestions, it might be time that you investigate the VT pages about The Netherlands and decide to go to Dutch places that don't have much info on VT yet.
Now that would be something!
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| Netherlands |
Re: Re: Tourist in my own country Posted: Sun October 26, 2003 10:57 AM UTC
Mique, Zeeland is definetely on my list. Middelburg & Vlissingen on one day and Neeltje-Jans on another day. But because I have to go by public transport not all of Zeeland is easily accesible. But of course I will look into your suggestions.
ATLC - that's very true what you said. Just yesterday I might a page and tips on two cities that didn't have any tips. Daimiel in Spain and Cestone in Basque Country. That was indeed very nice to do.
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| Netherlands |
Re: Re: Tourist in my own country Posted: Sun October 26, 2003 11:58 AM UTC
The page about Dutch destinations at
http://www.virtualtourist.com/vt/l/0/312/
is very interesting.
Here you see how many destinations per province have VT pages.
Interestingly, the provinces Noord-Brabant and Gelderland have the most pages about places.
Although province Noord-Holland has the most tips and photo's. Probably due to the enormous interest in Amsterdam.
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